Chapter 66: Can’t Reward Openly
Lin Qian’s heart sank, and he pressed, “What happened? Tell me slowly.”
That Crew Member panted heavily and said, “Zui Mao Lu just came back, came back on a Fishing Boat, injured quite badly. He said he was robbed halfway; the opponents had three ships and dozens of experts. Our Crew Members were all killed clean, and the ship was taken too…”
The Crew Member’s voice gradually grew quieter because he saw Lin Qian’s brows furrowing tighter and tighter.
What was destined to come had still come.
No need to think; this must have been Li Kuiqi’s doing.
What Lin Qian couldn’t understand was how Li Kuiqi had precisely found his ship amid the vast sea.
In these times, ships sailing at sea didn’t fly national flags, much less hang a “Lin” character on the Mast like Navy Warships.
From afar on the Sea Surface, all three-masted Fuchuan Ships looked identical.
Unless Li Kuiqi was indiscriminately robbing every passing Fuchuan Ship.
But in the past few days, the Watchtower had continuously spotted large Fuchuan Ships passing by, indicating the route was open. Amid all those ships, Li Kuiqi had precisely selected Lin Qian’s ship.
This was worth scrutinizing.
“Where is Zui Mao Lu now?” Lin Qian asked.
“At Qingmei Workshop; Doctor Su is treating his wounds.”
“Let’s go!” Lin Qian strode off quickly.
Since coming to the island, Su Kang and his daughter had reopened Qingmei Workshop under Lin Qian’s half-coercion and half-funding.
The new Qingmei Workshop was in a two-story Shop along the street.
By now, quite a crowd had gathered in the hall. Seeing Lin Qian arrive, they all made way.
Zui Mao Lu had four or five knife wounds over his body, on his arm, thigh, and elsewhere. The knife wounds were deep, with considerable blood loss, but luckily none hit vital areas.
He was sitting on a stool as Su Kang bandaged him.
Seeing Lin Qian arrive, Zui Mao Lu tried to stand, but Su Kang held him down and scolded, “If you want to die, that’s your business—just don’t waste my hemostatic medicine.”
Zui Mao Lu could only sit back down and said, “Helmsman…”
Lin Qian gestured for him not to speak and walked up close to examine his wounds.
None of the knife wounds were severe except the one on the inner thigh, which was very deep. There were many large blood vessels there; rupture would mean certain death.
If it were a ploy with self-inflicted wounds, it couldn’t reach this extent; it must be genuine.
That wound was surrounded by much clotted blood, but it had stopped bleeding now, with white medicine powder around it—clearly stanched by drugs.
Hemostasis was only a stopgap; once the medicine wore off, the blood would flow nonstop.
Lin Qian pointed at that wound and said, “Doctor Su, this injury seems to need stitching.”
Su Kang irritably replied, “Naturally.”
Lin Qian had asked only to confirm if Su Kang could stitch; he hadn’t held much hope.
Unexpectedly, Su Kang sounded quite confident, evidently skilled at suturing wounds.
Lin Qian said no more, stepped aside, and asked, “Doctor Su, may I ask a few questions?”
“Yes.” Su Kang nodded, then told Zui Mao Lu, “Move minimally when speaking; don’t pull the wound.”
Lin Qian then asked, “How did you escape? Are the other Crew Members still alive?”
“At the time, I took a knife to the leg and fell into the water. I held my breath and swam away by chance, barely saving my life… Before I hit the water, the brothers had basically all been… been killed off. Zhou Zhiku and that Frank didn’t die; they were captured…”
Hearing this, everyone’s faces darkened.
Lin Qian felt a fire burning uncontrollably in his chest. The Fuchuan Ship had thirty thousand Taels of Silver and Firearms worth ten thousand Taels of Silver, to say nothing of over a dozen experts plus Jose and Zhou Xiucai.
Men, wealth, ship—all lost!
Since arriving in Great Ming, Lin Qian had never suffered such a loss.
By the time he spoke, Su Kang had bandaged the lighter wounds. For a somewhat heavier one, he used ointment to seal it before bandaging.
Lin Qian asked again, “Where did they strike? No prior precautions?”
“Not far from Nan’ao Island—a bay called Ma’er Ao.
That day was overcast and rainy, pitch-black night. I was sleeping in the cabin when suddenly shouts of killing erupted on the Deck. I went out and saw people boarding the ship, slashing at anyone they saw.
The opponents were extremely skilled and outnumbered us. The brothers weren’t a match and fell quickly under their blades…”
Ma’er Ao—Lin Qian knew the place. Only sixty li from Nan’ao, sparsely populated around it. The nearest county was Chaoyang County, namely Shantou City’s Chaoyang District in later generations. The nearest Garrison was twenty li away.
Indeed a prime spot for Killing and looting.
Li Kuiqi choosing this place showed his intimate familiarity with seas around Nan’ao Island.
Striking at night showed preparation; the Fuchuan Ship had been targeted long before.
Precisely because it was a nighttime Ship Robbery, Zui Mao Lu falling overboard allowed him to escape in the dark.
“Oh right, that leader was extremely tall—as tall as two men,” Zui Mao Lu added.
This was clearly Li Kuiqi, further confirming Lin Qian’s suspicion.
One question remained unsolved: how had Li Kuiqi locked onto his Fuchuan Ship?
If tailing from afar, with no obstructions on the sea, if Li Kuiqi could spot the Fuchuan Ship, so could Zhou Xiucai and the others spot Li Kuiqi.
Knowing they had a tail, they wouldn’t anchor at Ma’er Ao even sailing blind at night.
While Lin Qian pondered, Su Kang finished the minor wounds, had his daughter fetch needle and thread, dispersed the crowd for sunlight, and prepared to stitch.
Lin Qian noted Su Kang had heated the suturing needle over fire beforehand; the thread wasn’t ordinary Hemp Rope or cotton—unknown material.
Before stitching, Su Qingmei brought a bowl of decoction for Zui Mao Lu to drink, consoling him, “This medicine will stop the pain.”
Seeing Zui Mao Lu eyeing Su Kang with the needle and thread, Su Qingmei reassured, “Father uses mulberry bark thread for wounds. It dissolves after healing—rest easy.”
Zui Mao Lu relaxed inwardly. After drinking, in half an incense stick’s time, his gaze grew unfocused, body limp, as if steeped in fine liquor.
Seeing the drug take effect, Su Kang opened the needle pouch, revealing neatly arrayed Silver Needles.
Su Kang pinched a needle and needled several points around Zui Mao Lu’s thigh repeatedly.
Then he threaded it and began stitching.
Astonishingly, Zui Mao Lu didn’t cry out once, as if the needled flesh weren’t his own.
Lin Qian watched, inwardly impressed.
In this era, Western medicine used opium tincture for pain: too little and the patient died in agony; too much suppressed breathing unto suffocation; just right and addiction followed, smoking oneself dead.
Yet Traditional Chinese Medicine achieved local anesthesia via herbs and acupuncture—truly praiseworthy.
By now, surrounding Crew Members’ eyes were on Lin Qian, awaiting the Helmsman’s orders.
Bai Langzai stepped forward behind him and whispered, “Helmsman, shall I grab that Huang guy?”
Lin Qian slowly shook his head.
Huang Hetai likely truly didn’t know Li Kuiqi’s location. If he did, he’d volunteer it sans questioning—Sea Bandit leaders infighting suited his interests.
Besides, Li Kuiqi’s nature precluded casually revealing his base to the Imperial Court’s Nan’ao Garrison Commander.
After a long while, Su Kang finished stitching, removed the Silver Needles, wiped forehead sweat, fetched cotton and Gauze, carefully bandaged the sutures, and had Zui Mao Lu escorted to rest.
Zui Mao Lu stood and paled in shock, woebegone: “Oh no, Doctor—my leg won’t move; it’s probably ruined.”
Su Kang nearly choked with fury, then glared: “Ruined? I stitched it myself—you say ruined and it is? It’ll move soon; go rest easy!”
Zui Mao Lu realized, thanked Doctor Su, and reached for silver to pay—only for Lin Qian to stop him.
Bai Langzai paid for him: a full five Taels of Silver.
“Not that much!” Su Kang said.
“Helmsman paid; take it,” Bai Langzai said coldly.
Su Kang snorted coldly and fell silent.
Su Qingmei gleefully pocketed the silver and warmly saw them out.
Outside, Lin Qian told the Crew Member supporting Zui Mao Lu, “Injured? Don’t bother the ship—find an empty Room at my inn to settle.”
The Crew Members nodded assent.
……
That night, in the inn.
Zui Mao Lu lay resting.
Suddenly, the Room door opened.
He gripped the Dagger under the pillow and demanded, “Who?”
By moonlight, recognizing Bai Langzai, he relaxed: “Navigator Bai.”
Bai Langzai nodded faintly, approached Zui Mao Lu’s side, and drew a Silver Ingot from his bosom—fifty-tael size by markings.
“Navigator, this…” Zui Mao Lu hesitated to take it, uncomprehending.
Bai Langzai explained: “Helmsman says you bore grave wounds, risked life to report back—you’re loyal and brave.
Still, you did escape back; openly rewarding you looks bad. He sent me now—take it.”
Zui Mao Lu took it with trembling hands, feeling the Silver Ingot exceptionally heavy.
Bai Langzai added: “Helmsman asks your name and how the nickname Zui Mao Lu arose?”
“I’m Lu Zhou. Zui Mao Lu came from getting drunk on a Flower Boat once and missing roll call…”
Lin Qian naturally recalled this; Bai Langzai did too. But per Lin Qian’s instruction, he asked verbatim.
Bai Langzai continued as bidden: “Helmsman says, wounds healed and back aboard, the ship remembers only Lu Zhou—no more Zui Mao Lu henceforth.”
Lu Zhou’s eyes burned; tears blurred his vision. Head bowed, he whispered, “Thanks, Helmsman.”
Composed and looking up, he found Bai Langzai gone from the Room.
